Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com.
Help support the publication of case reports on MoreLaw
Date: 07-03-2025
Case Style:
United States of America v. Francis Eversman, Gregg Crawford
Case Number:
Judge:
Court: The United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (St. Clair County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in East Saint Louis, Illinois
Defendant's Attorney:
Click Here For The Best East Saint Louis Criminal Defense Law Lawyer Directory
Description:
Former bank president and contractor plead guilty to federal charge in loan fraud scheme
Francis Eversman, 74, of Collinsville, and Gregg Crawford, 65, of Columbia, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for their roles in a scheme that extended from 2011 to 2020.
“The integrity of our banking system relies on the integrity of loan officers and applicants,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate their fiduciary duties and those who obtain loans through fraud are brought to justice.”
According to court documents, Eversman was a senior loan officer at former Tempo Bank in Trenton. Crawford was the owner of construction companies in southern Illinois. Eversman and Crawford admitted in district court that Crawford recruited straw purchasers to act as nominal loan applicants on what were often highly overvalued properties.
“Every American citizen deserves to walk into their bank and trust the people behind the counter. In southern Illinois, these people are usually our neighbors and friends, people that we trust with our money and wellbeing. The defendants in this case violated that trust through schemes aimed to self-serve and increase wealth,” said FBI Springfield Assistant Special Agent in Charge Karen Marinos. “FBI Springfield and our partners with the Office of Inspector General - Treasury and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will always look out for the wellbeing of the citizens of Illinois and ensure their money is being put in the hands of people they can truly trust.”
His brother-in-law, Eversman, steered these loans through the approval process. Crawford then used the loan proceeds for other purposes. In some cases, Crawford provided fake lease agreements to purport to show rental income from subject properties. When at audit by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency discovered the suspect loans, Crawford instructed a straw purchaser to provide investigators with false information.
Both Crawford and Eversman waived their right to be indicted by a grand jury and pled guilty to an Information.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Springfield Field Office, the Office of Inspector General – Treasury Department, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke is prosecuting the case.
Outcome: Conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and fines up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 14, 2025.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments:
Find a Lawyer
Find a Case
